Hanging by the beak?

[jellybeanz]

My mum's catalina Macaw loves to hang from ANYTHING by the beak. He basically looks like a fish on a hook! It is quite startling and we used to run to his cage and "rescue" him. He has since conditioned us lol, and knows if he does it he gets attention.

We have tried to ignore him, but now he has learned to kinda revolve himself around so his eyes are right on you while hanging from the beak...very scary lol. He does get tired eventually and climb back up but we're afraid one day he will slip and fall.

He even attempted this on our shower curtain bar that is at least 2" in diameter and slippery!! How do we deter this behavior?! We love him to pieces...but this act he's got is way too dangerous.

[SisterBlue]

I grew up with a Red Lored Amazon who was hell-bent on hanging from the highest point of her cage by the least amount of body she could manage....sometimes one toenail, or the tip of her beak. Inevitably, she would fall. A moment after the crash ('zon's are heavy little birds), we'd see one eye peek over the seed guard of her cage to see who was looking. If she thought no one saw her, she'd grumble under her breath and make the most noise possible climbing back to the top of the cage. If she KNEW someone saw her fall, she'd break into the biggest belly laugh you could imagine. Gasp! How could you even think it? We NEVER laughed at her! (Yeah, right...)

I think my point is that I don't think you could really "train" the bird to never hang from his beak...because that's just what birds do. It must be fun!

-SB

[Nehocmom]

My B&G Zoe likes to hang by her beak and flap her closed wings. We call it her dead chicken routine. Like you, we used to run to her thinking she would fall but we caught on quickly. It hasn't stopped her though, she tries it everytime she meets someone new.

[KimM]

LOL! Welcome to the Wonderful World of Macaws! Newt does it ALL the time. He'll even hang by his beak and "jerk" the snot out of his toys (like a dog pulling a tug toy)

Don't worry. Their beaks are enormously strong! Newt has never fallen hanging by his beak. One toe?... YES, but never his beak.

[malcomb88]

my baby huey (B&G) loves to hang upside down and hang by his beak in his cage. i used to run to him too. then i realized he was only trying to get me to get him out of the cage constantly. so i know when he wants out. i wait a little bit so he stops hanging then i get him out.